Handhelds Branch Out

Like the later PalmPilot, the pen-based PenPad offered synchronization. When you plugged it into your PC, software would check that changes to the address book, for example, were updated on both machines.

Handhelds Branch Out

The pen computing revolution failed, but it left an important legacy. In the quest for pen-based computers, many engineers rethought portable computing more broadly, developing new hardware running versatile mobile operating systems such as GO’s PenPoint and the Newton OS.

These platforms—a combination of hardware and operating system for which a developer could write applications software—were general-purpose, much like those developed for PCs. This opened the door to handhelds becoming full-function computers with sophisticated graphics, making possible uses that range from web browsing to electronic banking.

This sleek, full color handheld computer saved the world in the James Bond film, “The World is Not Enough.” HP’s popular Jornada line ranged from pocket computers to subnotebooks, and even a phone, all running Windows CE.

The Zaurus was a successful follow up to Sharp’s Wizard series, which had inspired the Newton. Based on a proprietary operating system, the Zaurus became Japan’s most popular handheld. Later models featured wireless networking.

A full-function miniature computer with a graphical user interface, the Series 3 sold about 1.5 million units. It had an advanced multitasking memory-protected operating system. There was no series 4, a number considered unlucky in Asia.